Sun Wukong Research Articles

An Etymological and Controversial Examination of Sun Wukong in <i>Journey to the West</i>

Since the debate between Lu Xun's "indigenous theory" and Hu Shi's "exotic theory" on the origin of the image of Sun Wukong, there has been nearly a hundred years of academic discussion. Scholars from various schools have conducted a large number of beneficial studies and reached well-founded conclusions. However, due to the unique nature of Journey to the West as a work that has been accumulated across generations and carries a distinct historical sediment, the controversy surrounding it has always been at an impasse, with no consensus reached. Based on previous studies, this paper will provide an overview of the mainstream theories within the academic community. It will then conduct etymological and dialectical analysis of the character of Sun Wukong from the perspective of the "indigenous theory", thus demonstrating the high plausibility of the indigenous viewpoint.

Comparative Studies on English Translation of the Four Main Characters’ Titles in “Xiyouji”

The study aims to compare Anthony C. Yu’s and W. J. F. Jenner’s translations of the four main characters’ titles in “Xiyouji.” By categorizing the main characters’ titles using a statistical methodology and determining what the characters’ personalities are embodied in the main titles, the study analyzes which translation is more appropriate from the perspective of cultural communication. The most frequently used titles for “孙悟空(Sun Wukong)” are “(孙)行者(Pilgrim/Moneky)” and “(齐天)大圣(Great Sage),” accounting for 48% and 14% of his 119 titles. For “唐玄奘(Tang Xuanzang),” the predominant titles are “师父(Mater)” and “三藏(Sanzang/Tripitaka),” making up 40% and 25% of his 17 titles. “猪悟能(Zhu Wuneng)” is most commonly called “(猪)八戒(Eight Rules/Pig)” and “呆子(Idiot),” constituting 73% and 18 % of his 11 titles. As for “沙悟净(Sha Wujing),” the prevalent titles are “沙和尚(Sha Monk)” and “悟净 (Wujing),” encompassing 90% and 7% of his seven titles. Whether Sun Wukong’s justice, braveness and supernatural ability and his role as the crisis solver of the pilgrimage, Tang Sanzang’s wisdom, leadership and enlightenment and role as the leader, Zhu Wuneng’s transgressive nature and role as the rule breaker or Sha Wujing’s devoutness and role as the follower, their titles reflect their personalities and positions in the narrative. By comparing Yu’s and Jenner’s translations of these titles, the paper observes that Yu’s translation conveys the implied meanings. In contrast, Jenner’s translation is straightforward and simplified. Yu’s translation is more beneficial for the target language readers to understand Chinese Culture.

Issue Information

Front cover: Son Goku (Sun Wukong), a god in monkey form, was brandishing a Nyoi‐bo representing the TBXT gene. However, an AluY‐marked dagger hit the Nyoi‐bo and broke it off. Xia et al. showed that the loss of tails in hominoids, including humans and apes, was due in part to changes in splicing patterns caused by the insertion of an AluY element into the ancestral TBXT gene (Xia et al. (2024) Nature 626:1042‐1048, DOI: 10.1038/s41586‐024‐07095‐8). Son Goku cannot hide the look of impatience on his face as his tail begins to disappear, having impaired the function of the Nyoi‐bo, which is necessary to maintain his tail, the source of Son Goku's magical power. Designed by TRAIS Co., Ltd. (Kobe, Japan).image

RECONTEXTUALIZATION OF SUN WUKONG’S HEROISM IN THE MONKEY KING FILM TRILOGY 2014–2018

The classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, written by Wú Chéng’ēn in the 16th century of the Ming Dynasty, is an influential work in Chinese culture. The main character of the novel, the Monkey King Sun Wukong, has become a highly popular character and been adapted into various cultural products. Sun Wukong’s popularity was adapted into three films directed by Cheang Pou-soi, namely Monkey King 1 (2014), Monkey King 2 (2016), and Monkey King 3 (2018). This article analyzes the reconfiguration of Sun Wukong in the films based on the monomyth schemes by Joseph Campbell, focusing on the construction of Sun Wukong’s heroic journey and his hybridity visualization that is closely related to his transformation from an archetypal hero who represents the principle of the “Three Teachings in One” to a modern superhero who represents social and individual values in the “Twelve Core Values of Chinese Socialism”. Through the archetypal theme of the journey, hybridity visualization, and a set of values associated with Sun Wukong, this article tries to analyze the transformation of his heroism from a classic hero into a modern superhero. The re-contextualization of this transformation to the contemporary China’s situation reflects the spirit of China today and its long journey from traditionalism to modernity.

A Comparison of Different Values of Freedom Reflected in the Characters of Sun Wukong and Dean

A Comparison of Different Values of Freedom Reflected in the Characters of Sun Wukong and Dean

CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION IN THE GAME MOBILE LEGENDS: BANG BANG! (MLBB) AND ITS IMPACT

Chinese culture thrives on a lot of popular culture including gaming. One of the games that contain Chinese culture is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang! or MLBB, developed by Moonton as the developer company from Shanghai. Moonton elevates Chinese culture in MLBB through hero characters that gamers can choose from. There are 11 hero characters with Chinese culture, including the hero characters Chang'e, Sun, and Zilong who have the highest popularity. The three hero characters are based on mythical, literature and historical characters related to China, namely: (1) the mythical figure Chang'e as the hero character Chang'e, (2) the literature figure Sun Wukong as Sun, and (3) the historical character Zhao Yun as the hero character Zilong. The hero characters have undergone transformation from the name to the story background so there are differences from the figures. This transformation aims to be an adjustment to the game conceptualization as well as a marketing strategy to attract the players’ attention. This research will examine the figures’ transformation into selected MLBB hero characters (Chang'e, Sun, and Zilong), and it is concluded that the transformations made by the developers not only attract the players’ attention, but also eventually became MLBB's strategy to develop the market.

Demon-Immortal Monkey: Categories of Being in the Cosmos of Journey to the West

A little-studied aspect of the Monkey character 孫悟空 (Sun Wukong) in Wu Cheng'en's 吳承恩 Xiyou ji 西遊記 (Journey to the West) is his identity in terms of category of being, that is, how he fits into and rebels against the cosmic system of the ranking and classifying of beings that governs the novel. He is a human-like monkey, who is also an aspiring immortal, who was once a miscreant demon, who moreover never completely sheds his demon-like behavior. Journey to the West pays particular attention to the taxonomy of beings, which therefore needs a more detailed examination than has appeared so far, including a look at the lists of categories that Journey to the West applies. A deep sense of category envy and species rivalry courses through the novel, which underlies both the conflicts that Monkey initiates and the ones he meets head on. Two types of being, immortal (xian 仙) and demon (yao 妖), are in special need of unfolding. Originating in ancient times, they remain as expansive and malleable as ever in Journey to the West, in which Monkey alternates between the two even after his subjugation.

A Study on the Innovation of Artistic Image of Sun Wukong in Chinese Animation Films

손오공의 예술적 이미지의 혁신은 깊이 연구하고 토론할 가치가 있는 주제이다. 손오공은 사람들에게 잘 알려진 신화의 인물이고 오랜 기간 끊임없이 애니메이션 영화에서 빈번하게 표현하는 대상이기 때문이다. 본 연구에서 첫째, 손오공을 주인공으로 한 많은 애니메이션 영화에 대한 정리를 바탕으로 역사적 시기별로 손오공의 예술적 이미지의 혁신적 전환 과정을 정리하였다. 둘째, 역사적인 시각에서 수직적 비교의 차원을 설정하여 다양한 시기에 손오공의 예술적 이미지의 혁신적인 특성을 정의하였다. 셋째, 혁신 이론의 측면에서 기존 손오공 애니메이션의 혁신적인 예술적 이미지와 혁신적인 특성을 분류하고 설명하였다. 마지막으로, 손오공의 예술적 이미지 혁신이 직면하고 있는 도전과 기회를 분석하였다. 본 연구는 시기별 손오공의 이미지를 별도로 분석하는 데 그치지 않고 연구대상의 역사적 연속성과 그 이면의 혁신의 문제를 연구하는 데 중심을 두었다.BR 예술적인 시각 이미지를 분석하기 위해 중국 손오공 애니메이션 여러 편을 중심으로 연구대상을 선정하였다. 분석을 통하여 중국 애니메이션 영화의 발전사에서 손오공의 예술적 이미지는 세 단계로 나타났다. 첫 단계는 중국과 서양의 결합에 따른 초기 모색 단계로 미국 디즈니를 배우면서도 중국의 스타일을 유지하려는 비교적 혼란스러운 상태를 보여줬다. 둘째 단계는 사회주의의 민족성 탐색 단계로 전국적인 시장 체제 상태에서 전국적 우위 자원을 집중하여 국가 이미지를 대표하는 애니메이션 모델을 만들었으며, 전통적 희곡과 회화의 요소를 활용하여 손오공의 예술적 이미지가 국가적인 특정을 갖도록 하였다. 셋째 단계는 신기술을 이용하는 민족문화의 자신감 단계이다. 21세기에 개봉된 2편의 손오공 애니메이션은 날로 성숙해지는 3D 애니메이션 제작 기술을 활용하고 신세대 젊은이들의 소비 관념을 반영하여 손오공의 예술적 이미지에 중국풍의 특성이 융합되어 녹아들어갔다.BR 역사적인 수직적 비교의 차원으로 분석하자면, 손오공의 예술적 이미지의 혁신은 4가지 유형으로 나타났다. 즉 지속적이고 수렴적인 혁신, 지속적이고 답보적인 혁신, 단속적이고 수렴적인 혁신, 단속적이고 답보적인 혁신이다. 혁신의 뚜렷한 특징을 보면 대부분의 경우 수렴적이며, 혁신은 중단되기 쉽고 혁신은 복잡하고 비선형적인 과정이며, 답보적인 혁신은 지속적이고 강력한 자원 투입에 의존해야 한다는 것이다. 이를 통해 혁신은 직면한 도전을 분석하여 시스템 외부 요구의 적응성 조절이 손오공의 예술적 이미지의 혁신을 지원하는 핵심적 요소임을 제시하였다.

Optofluidic identification of single microorganisms using fiber‐optical‐tweezer‐based Raman spectroscopy with artificial neural network (BMEMat 1/2023)

Pathogenic microorganisms that cause diseases are like the hateful monsters in Journey to the West. With strong mobility, they keep wandering everywhere, making it very difficult to identify them in a great variety of species using conventional microscopes. In article number 10.1002/bmm2.12007, Y. Zhang et al. develop an optofluidic method for identifying single microorganisms in microfluidic channels using fiber-optical-tweezer-based Raman spectroscopy with artificial neural network. Such a method is just like Sun Wukong (also called the Great Sage Equalling Heaven in the same fiction) who owns the super power of “Immobilization Spell” that traps the pathogenic microorganisms and “Piercing Eyes” that rapidly and accurately identify the microbial species.

Research on the Inheritance of Chinese Traditional Culture in Classics——Take Journey to the West as an Example

Journey to the West is a masterpiece of classical magic realism in China, which has created many colorful characters. These characters contain rich traditional cultural factors, which is a comprehensive reflection of society, politics, culture, etc. and also expresses the author's attitude towards reality. Sun Wukong is the most typical character in Journey to the West. The image of the Monkey King also reflects the attitude of the work towards the whole feudal traditional culture.

The Creation of Shadow Animation under Digital Technology

The rapid development of digital technology has brought about new expressions and opportunities for the creation of Piying animations. However, to do well in this area requires knowledge and unique understanding of a range of interdisciplinary elements including digital technology, shadow puppetry, animation media, etc. Taking Sun Wukong Thrice Foils Bai Gujing, a 2D digital animation as an example, this paper tries to reveal the link between the digital production of Piying animations and the ontological characteristics of animation, and to identify more possibilities and conditions for the creation of digital Piying animations in China by exploring the multifold connections and interactions among digital technology, animation, and shadow puppetry.

Research on the Transformation of Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction

Research on the Transformation of Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction

Klasik Çin Edebiyatında “Batıya Yolculuk” Romanı ve Esin Kaynağı Üzerine Mitolojik Bir Okuma

In the fifteenth century AD. during the period Ming Dynasty, which ise one of dynasties of Chinese history, written and compiled by Wu Cheng’en, the novel “Xi You Ji Journey To The West” is one of the classical chinese piece, narrates the pilgrim voyage of budist monk Xuanzang to the India. Along the way, they encounter various mythological animals, ghosts, monsters and mythical creatures. The novel "Journey to the West" is one of the four classic works of classical Chinese literature. These four classic books, including "Journey to the West", are "The Dream of Red Mansions 红楼梦", " Water Margin” or “Outlaws of the Marsh水浒传" and " Three Kingdoms三国演义." The novel describes the adventures of Xuanzang during his journey to India. In addition to this, in "Journey to the West", during Xuanzang's holy pilgrimage trip, to serve him and protect himself from all kinds of troubles, “Sun Wukong 孙悟空”, “Zhu Bajie 猪八戒”, “Sha Wujing沙悟净” and “White Dragon Horse 白龙马” accompanied him. There are many derivatives of the novel of Journey to the West in the countries neighboring the Chinese geography. Its Indian counterpart, the Ramayana, and one of the main characters, Hanuman, are an important example of this. It is also found in countries such as Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka. In this study, the definition of the novel Journey to the West is made, its content and subject are explained, its place and importance in classical Chinese and world literature are explained.

Lust, Caution, and Enlightenment


 
 
 The formation of the character of Sun Wukong has remained one of the most controversial issues in the field of Xiyou ji studies. While acknowledging that different strands might have fed into the image of Sun Wukong in the sixteenth- century novel Xiyou ji (Journey to the West), this paper calls attention to complex and sometimes contradictory representations of Sun Wukong’s sexuality and explores the mechanism of displacement that subtly operates in the novel and reveals itself through such representations. It further demonstrates the dual function performed by the displacement of Sun Wukong’s sexuality: on the one hand, it connects Sun Wukong to the image of the lustful ape in the white ape tradition; on the other hand, such displacement allows him to utilize and transcend his desire by experiencing the process of awakening to kong 空 by means of se 色 on his path to enlightenment. Therefore, a reexamination of Sun Wukong through the lens of sexuality helps draw together these two seemingly separate aspects and reveals a narrative in which Sun Wukong’s sexual desire not only encodes his hidden past associated with the white ape tradition but also generates significant meaning in light of the Buddhist context, that is, the notion that erotic encounters and fulfillment of sexual desire can be integrated into the Buddhist journey to enlightenment.
 
 

From China to the World: The main media pilgrimages of Sun Wukong and Son Gokū

The ‘Journey to the West’, also translated as the’ Pilgrimage to the West’, is one of the masterpieces of ancient Chinese literature. Published anonymously by the putative author Wu Cheng'en in the late 16th century, the story traces in broad outline the journey taken by the monk Tripitaka in the year 629 a.D. to India to acquire Buddhist scriptures, and it is the result of reworking antecedent works, such as ‘Poetic notes on the pilgrimage of Tripitaka of the Great Tang to acquire the Sutras’ and ‘‹Journey to the West› Opera’. In this fiction, the writer moves away from the authenticity of the traditional pilgrimage: here the monk is escorted by sinful-followers (i.e., a dragon-horse, a pig, a demon, and a monkey) capable of removing malevolent beings throughout the journey. Sun Wukong is the wild and skillful monkey that ascends to Buddhity, becoming a ‘Victorious Fighting Buddha’ at the end of the literary work. Later on, the Chinese work of fiction was used as a source of inspiration for the creation of Dragon Ball, a Japanese fantasy & martial arts manga. Published in 1984 as a manga and then adapted into an anime, Dragon Ball sketchily follows the Chinese work of fiction. After coming across Bulma, young Son Gokū decides to escort the girl in her quest to collect seven magic dragon spheres. The series’ success allowed the manga’s author, Akira Toriyama, to continue the story arc and launch a new series in 2015. Since 1986, several videogames with a monkey character have entered the market. The purpose of this article is to highlight the main affinities between Sun Wukong and his Japanese counterpart Son Gokū first, and then attempt to explain how the monkey character has become a world-famous symbol, and contextualise it into the phenomenon of ‘worldwide pilgrimage’.

Ferroptosis: A Combined Model of Human iPSC‐Derived Liver Organoids and Hepatocytes Reveals Ferroptosis in DGUOK Mutant mtDNA Depletion Syndrome (Adv. Sci. 10/2021)

Cover story shows the amazing Chinese story of Monkey King named Sun Wukong got the Key Stand Iron Rod in East Sea as his weapon—Gold-Banded Cudgel. In article number 2004680, Xingguo Liu and co-workers demonstrate a sensitivity to iron overload-induced ferroptosis in mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome patients, which suggests potential protective effect of mitochondria in cell from ferroptosis. In the cover, iron (Gold-Banded Cudgel) unbalance induces ferroptosis (East Sea turbulence), which could be protected by mitochondria (Monkey King with Heart Armor).

Anti‐Tumor Nanoplatforms: M2‐Like TAMs Function Reversal Contributes to Breast Cancer Eradication by Combination Dual Immune Checkpoint Blockade and Photothermal Therapy (Small 13/2021)

In article number 2007051, Shuo Shi, Chunyan Dong, and co-workers present a stimuli-responsive multifunctional anti-tumor nanoplatform. Its photothermal effect ablates local tumor cells while strengthening infiltration of T lymphocytes. The released AUNP-12 and PQ912 remarkably relieve both the innate and adaptive immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. The synergized photothermal and dual immune checkpoint blockading therapy might open new insights in eliminating breast cancer. Just like a scene in the famous Chinese novel “The Pilgrimage to the West”, the god—Sun Wukong cleverly restores the “heat” of the tumor microenvironment conjuring two eagles taking the “cold dragon” away and finally burning the monster.

Xuanzang and <i>The Journey to the West</i>

Sun Wukong 孫悟空, Zhu Bajie 猪八戒 and Sha Wujing 沙悟浄 were disciples of Sanzang Fashi 三蔵法師 in the Ming dynasty novel The Journey to the West 西遊記. Many mysteries remain regarding their roots. This article points out that some of the real disciples of Xuanzang 玄奘 (602–664) were their models.

Ritual Functions of Sun Wukong’s Hair in Wu Cheng-en’s novel “Journey to the West”

The results of the motivational analysis of Wu Cheng-en’s novel “A Journey to the West” are presented, the mythological meanings of individual object-material images are studied, a set of ritual actions related to hair is considered: pulling out wool, casting a spell, turning around. The idea of a variety of ritual functions of hair, endowed with mystical properties in many mythological systems, is taken as a starting point; they are included in thanatal, carnival and other contexts. It has been proven that all rituals related to hair in the novel combine the archetypal meanings of being chosen, initiation, carnival buffoonery and spiritual formation. A typology of ritual functions of hair and associated miracles is proposed. The first of the selected types of metamorphosis is carried out through manipulations that Sun Wukong masters in training with the sages: this is the creation of a copy of an object or creature with the help of which the hero avoids danger. The second object of the typology is a gift from the Bodhisattva Guanyin, which requires a certain inner work from the hero — choice, bargaining, creating a new object without a ready-made sample. The question is raised about the divine leadership of the process of becoming a hero.

중국 영웅관념의 변화에 따른 ‘손오공’의 표현 특징

중국 영웅관념의 변화에 따른 ‘손오공’의 표현 특징